Al Davis: The Alpha and Omega

Al Davis stands alone. In an era when fans and coaches are use to dealing with rich fat cats as the owners of their professional athletic teams Al Davis comes from a different place and time. This is why Al Davis is misunderstood.

Al Davis is the ultimate maverick. This was proven once again in the 2009 NFL Draft. While the experts and talking heads espoused their opinions as to what the Oakland Raiders should do Davis made his own decision regardless as to what the rest of the football world would think. With the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft the Oakland Raiders selected Darrius Heyward-Bey wide receiver from Maryland the man with the fastest 40 yard dash time at the combine.. When Commissioner Roger Goodell stepped away from the podium the horse laughs began. Al Davis never heard them. More importantly he doesn’t care about them and he never will. The one thing that Al Davis understands is that you cannot teach speed. You can ask anyone in the league, what is the NFL game predicated on today? The answer is speed.

When the Colts, Chiefs or Patriots make an unusual move in the draft it is called “bold”, the experts start searching to try to figure out what they missed. When Al Davis does it everyone laughs. I think ultimately Mr. Davis will have the last laugh.

Ever since 1963 Al Davis has searched for and usually found impact players. With Art Powell, Clem Daniels, Warren Wells, Daryle Lamonica all the way to the present day with Nnamdi Asomugha. Al Davis does not want to be average. Al Davis wants to win. It does not matter where a player is chosen in the draft or if that player is taken off the waiver wire such as Jim Plunkett. What matters is that each player who wears the Silver and Black has the same goal. Just Win Baby.

In the history of professional football there have been very few men like Al Davis. The only others that I can think of are Paul Brown and George Halas. Halas even played in the league. Today Al Davis stands alone as a coach, general manager, owner and commissioner. No one in pro football today can say the same.

If Al Davis wants to select an unknown safety out of the University of Ohio in the second round of the draft I would not laugh at him and I sure as shootin would not doubt him. His track record over the long haul he has been right more then not.